Ryan ’03 and Rachel (Buescher) Bredow '03 joyfully support Concordia Nebraska

Ryan ’03 and Rachel (Buescher) Bredow '03 met while they were students at Concordia University, Nebraska and were married the summer after they graduated from the university. 

Although Rachel was born and raised in Iowa, and Ryan lived all over the country from Denver to Houston, to Anaheim to St. Louis, both attended Lutheran schools and had Lutheran educator parents. 

The Bredows joyfully support Concordia Nebraska financially because they are grateful for the wonderful experiences they had at the university and wish the same for future generations of students. 

“Concordia helped shape and mold me into who I am today,” said Rachel. “I cannot say enough good things about my experience there. The lifelong relationships that were developed are so deep! The education was excellent and my faith blossomed. Giving only seemed natural since Concordia gave so much to us. Giving to Concordia is giving to an organization that cares for the whole person. If more lives can be impacted by giving like mine was impacted, the investment has eternal rewards.”  

Ryan has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with emphasis in English and physical education as well as a Lutheran Teaching Diploma. Rachel has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with emphasis in English and physical education, middle level and English Language Learner endorsement as well as a Lutheran Teaching Diploma. The Bredos have three children: high school sophomore Bella, eighth grader Bo and fourth grader Bryce.  

“After we got married, we spent the first 12 years serving in Colorado, followed by three years in Milwaukee, and are now finishing year seven in Phoenix. My career started in Lutheran high schools, where I was blessed to serve for 15 years, before now being blessed to serve as vice president for K-12 educational development at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona,” explained Ryan. “I love championing our mission there. The president of GCU, Brian Mueller '76, as well as his wife, Paula (Hemminghaus) ‘76 also happen to be a proud Concordia Nebraska graduates! Rachel has spent her career as a called worker on the both the church and school side. She currently serves as director of Next Gen Ministries at Christ Greenfield Lutheran Church in Gilbert, Arizona. Our family continues to be deeply blessed by the ongoing impact of Lutheran churches and schools.” 

“My mother was a Lutheran school teacher and principal and my dad worked for John Deere. I have an older sister who attended Concordia Nebraska – Rebecca (Buescher) Liebich ’00 - and is currently a preschool teacher in southwest Michigan. My younger brother attended Concordia Ann Arbor and is now a pastor in central Illinois,” added Rachel. “Being raised in a Lutheran home was probably the most influential part of my childhood because of what that all entails: having a front row seat to church and school ministry, youth gatherings and youth group, grade school tournaments with other Lutheran schools, attending NLOMA camps in the summer and being surrounded by people who were like minded in their faith and beliefs.” 

Ryan’s father – Gordon – grew up in Seward, so Ryan was raised with great familiarity of Concordia Nebraska. He said ever since sixth grade, he knew he wanted to be a Lutheran high school teacher and basketball coach, and Concordia was always on his radar. 

“When I was later given the opportunity to play basketball and baseball there, it became the perfect fit,” he said “It's cliche, but cliche for a reason: my favorite thing about Concordia is the community. I owe so much of who I am today to my experience at Concordia: my teammates, classmates, coaches, professors, university leadership…the entire Bulldog culture forever impacted my life for the better. I truly could not have ever imagined a better experience, and it is still a cherished gift to this day.” 

Rachel said it is fun to look back on the path she’s traveled to see how all of her experiences have led her to where she is now. 

“It has come full circle. Initially, I went to Concordia Nebraska to become a DCE. After a year in that program, I realized I wanted a job that was a little more structured and defined and so I switched to teaching,” she said. “There are just a lot of different roles and responsibilities you can assume as a DCE where as if you are a teacher, you know the parameters a little better. I learned so much as an educator and now that I am in a DCE role, I can't imagine doing my job without that experience that I have had. Plus, I still get to be an educator by leading the Sunday school program and confirmation but I also really enjoy working closely with parents in helping aid their families' faith development at home.” 

Ryan served as Lutheran high school teacher and coach in Colorado for twelve years. During that time, he also completed a master's degree in marketing with emphasis in entrepreneurship through the business school at the University of Colorado. 

“That specific pursuit was informed by my deep passion for exploring more and more ways to grow and promote Christian education (specifically through admissions, enrollment and marketing). I soon left the classroom for those roles, which then led me to accept a call to serve as director of enrollment and marketing for the Lutheran High School Association of Greater Milwaukee,” he said. “During that time, I also started and later finished a doctoral degree in educational leadership at Grand Canyon University. In 2018, Grand Canyon University asked me to join their mission, where I now co-lead a team focused on serving, supporting and inspiring K-12 schools all around the country,” he said. “I serve the strategic priorities of Grand Canyon University, while at the same time being responsive to opportunities to serve the mission and vision for thousands of K-12 schools all around the country. It is an incredible gift and genuine joy to serve such a passionate, innovative, growing, mission-aligned organization. It is a joy to see how the Lord continues to accomplish His good through not only the transformative mission at GCU, but also through K-12 education around the world. Our God is so good, and how He uses Christian education to impact students, families and communities is a daily inspiration for me.” 

Rachel said her time at Concordia Nebraska well prepared her for her many roles since graduation. 

“Faith was the foundation of everything at Concordia from athletics to chapel to the classes we took. There were always opportunities for faith development including chapel, praise and worship, devotions and mission trips,” she explained. “Concordia prepared me in so many ways! Helping run intramurals prepared me for my work as an athletic director, my student teaching experiences were eye opening and diverse, professors like Dr. Fischer, Dr. Goldgrabe and Micah Parker, Dr. Uffleman and Dr. Roebke were influential with expertise in their subject areas. The field experience and hands-on learning were pivotal in preparing me to be a teacher. I can't say enough about the leadership and teachers at Concordia. I guess that is what you should expect at a former ‘teacher's college’…amazing teachers!” 

Ryan reiterated that Concordia Nebraska is a special place and that he and Rachel are grateful for the experiences they had at the university. 

“Growing up, my heroes and leaders I looked up to were Concordia Nebraska graduates serving as my teachers and coaches, namely my father and many who served faithfully around him. Throughout our travels as a family, each school seemed to have Concordia Nebraska alums, and they all served with such great pride in their alma mater,” he said. “There was a connectedness, a loyalty, a raving endorsement that was so contagious, and once I began attending, I could see how it was always all about the people and the modeling of what it looks like to live, learn, and lead in Christian education was something I observed and experienced every day at Concordia, which certainly prepared me well for the journey ahead.” 

This March, we invite you to join us for Seeds of Generosity, a month-long celebration of giving and impact at Concordia University, Nebraska. Together, we’re sowing seeds of faith, learning and service that will grow for generations to come. Every gift—whether large or small—helps sustain our mission to provide Christ-centered education, support our students and prepare servant leaders for the church and the world.